June 17, 1920
The long-gone Charter Logging Co. mill beside the E&N tracks at Sahtlam.
Photo courtesy of the Kaatza Museum, Lake Cowichan.
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
June 17, 1920
Logging has always been a dangerous job, more so in the old days than now.
But the accident that claimed the life of blacksmith David Cunningham, June 9, 1920, was a freak of freaks—he was asleep in his bunk at the Charter Lumber Co. when tragedy struck.
As such he became The Leader’s leading front-page news story the next day.
FATAL ACCIDENT
Blacksmith Killed In Bed When Fir Tree Falls
“One of those rare fatalities, which are inseparable from the forest, occurred just after midnight on Wednesday last, when Mr. David Cunningham met his death at the Charter Lumber Company’s camp, some fourteen miles from Duncan.
“There was no wind at the time, but a dead fir tree, some four feet in diameter, fell clear across two cabins, smashing them into kindling wood. In one of these Messrs. Cunningham, F. Robinson, Louis Bergman, and John Scott were sleeping.
“It appears that the tree fell on the foot of Cunningham’s iron cot, and threw his head with such force against an iron angle that his skull was fractured. It was two hours before he could be released, the log having to be sawn in two places and jacked up. He was then rushed to Duncan hospital, where he died shortly after.
“The other three occupants of the cabin sustained slight injuries. In the other cabin, Mr. Lawrence Hird and a man named Wilson were sleeping. They, too, escaped with slight scratches.
“Dr. H.F.D. Stephens, R.N., coroner, held an inquiry at the camp on Friday morning, when evidence as to the occurrence was given by Messrs. Bergman and Scott, both of whom are engineers. Major W.W. Duncan, assistant manager, corroborated their statements. Provincial Constable W. Kier was in attendance.
“It appears that the tree fell the whole of its length, uprooting itself. It broke the telephone line. Looking at the ruined cabins, one wonders how any person could have escaped alive. There were almost thirty men in the camp, but the other buildings were not touched.
“It is a peculiar fact that, about a mile away, on the Cowichan Lake road, is the spot where the late Mr. Cloutier met his death through a similar occurrence, when driving the stage.
“The dead man was a native of Huntington, Quebec, and was aged about 60. He came here in 1883, and followed his trade as a blacksmith here and in France, where he served in the 238th (Forestry) Bn. He leaves a mother at Huntington, a brother at Carstairs, Alberta and another at Bender, Sask.
“The funeral took place on Saturday at the municipal cemetery, Somenos...”
As is the nature of a newspaper the account of Cunningham’s death had to share the front page with a mixed bag of other news, much of it, as befitting a small town weekly, consisting of community events totally without drama.
Proof in point are the items immediately adjoining: a musical recital by Miss Monk’s singing class in the St. John’s hall, and an announcement that high school entrance exams for Duncan students would be held over four days of the following week.
Also, three Canadian Pacific Railway photographers had spent two days in the Valley, travelling in a specially fitted railway car as they recorded logging scenes at Cowichan Lake and Crofton. Miss N. Olive Erin, FRPS, of Norfolk, Eng., had particularly impressive credentials, she having photographed the royal family and the late prime minister Lloyd George.
MLA K.F. Duncan and the district engineer H.C. Mann passed through Duncan from an inspection tour of the isolated settlement of Clo-oose on the Island’s west coast after hiking 17 miles overland from the head of Nitinat Lake to Cowichan Lake.
On the farm scene longtime settler John N. Evans and his son sold their prized purebred bull, Earl Abbekerk Wayne, to the Dominion government. The 16-month-old bull had taken first prize at the previous Fall Fair. “Practical demonstrations of culling, etc.” were to be given to local poultry men by the University of B.C.’s Prof. Lloyd.
In view of the increased costs of poultry keeping, advised The Leader, “every chicken owner should attend these meetings and learn how to reduce his working expenses and how to increase the earning power of his flock”.
The Duncan Board of Trade hosted 30 members of their Vancouver counterpart on a tour of the Cowichan Valley. Other visitors included the provincial mineralogist who, with the manager of a Kootenay mine, examined the new manganese mine, the only one of its kind in Canada, on Hill 60. They expressed themselves as being pleased with what they saw there.
Duncan City Council authorized the extension of electrical power lines along Gibbins Road but declined to act on a petition for the same service from eight other residents. Ald. Dickie served notice that he was going to introduce a bylaw regulating and licensing the sale of beverages made from beer and soft drinks, and Ald. Smithe announced his intention to do the same regarding “heavy traffic.”
Council approved the purchase of $114.97 worth of Victory bonds and Duncan Garage Ltd.’s application for a two-inch water connection for the express purpose of fire protection.
The School Board was faced with a total of six teacher resignations and that of school nurse Miss Lillian Kier. Remarkably, only Miss Kier’s resignation, prompted by declining health that required hospitalization, drew comment from the board which proceeded to discuss the need of facilities and instructors for Domestic Science and Manual Training.
And Miss B.C. Tranfield, who hadn’t resigned, was granted a raise of $100 per annum as of the next school term.
The Cowichan Cricket Club was active, the Sisters of St. Ann were planning to build a new school at Tzouhalem (today’s Providence Farm) as part of their 70th anniversary. The Sisters had been active in the Valley since 1863.
Henry Touchley, “an Indian,” was acquitted of illegal net fishing in the Cowichan River by Stipendiary Magistrate James Maitland-Dougall and pioneer merchant W.P. Jaynes was retiring after 41 years in business, latterly as president of Cowichan Merchants Ltd. The English-born Jaynes started his local mercantile career with a trading post at Quamichan. “There were very few families in the district and most of his business was with Indians,” said The Leader. In 1886, with the coming of the railway, he’d moved his business to Duncan’s Crossing. In 1910 Jaynes and fellow merchants Pitt and Peterson merged as Cowichan Merchants Ltd.
Jaynes was a leading proponent of the Cowichan Creamery, a school trustee for many years and for three years the president of the Duncan Board of Trade.